Health & Fitness
'Joyce Kilmer Day" Is a Super Event
MAHWAH, NJ – A super crowd filled the atrium of Roxanne’s Restaurant on Super Bowl Sunday for the “2nd Annual Joyce Kilmer Day” celebration honoring the poet patriot who wrote the immortal poem “Trees” in his Mahwah house on February 2, 1913.
“Two champions are being recognized for their achievements today – the winner of the Super Bowl and Joyce Kilmer who wrote one of the most famous poems in the English language only a short distance from here,” said Alex Michelini, founder of the Joyce Kilmer Society of Mahwah, host of the event.
Honorary chairman of the event, Mayor Bill Laforet, and his wife, Maureen, joined four present and former members of the Township Council -- Council President John Roth, Councilmen Steve Sbarra and Harry Williams and former Councilman John Spiech -- to salute the poet patriot who was the most distinguished American to die in World War I.
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Peter Mastorakos, owner of Roxanne’s, provided details of his plans to place benches in honor of Joyce Kilmer on the grounds of the restaurant on Franklin Turnpike.
The program included a display of vintage Joyce Kilmer books and photos; media reports on the authoritative proof that Kilmer wrote “Trees” in an upstairs room of his Mahwah house “overlooking a wooded hill;” and free raffle tickets for three Joyce Kilmer T-shirts and three Joyce Kilmer mugs.
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In addition, a Joyce Kilmer photo autographed by former New York Giants defensive end, George Martin, a hero of the Giants 1986 season Super Bowl champions, “to the memory of Joyce Kilmer,” was also among the winning prizes.
Kilmer, a journalist for The New York Times, lived in Mahwah from 1912 through most of 1916 and helped his wife, Aline, raise four of their five children in the township.
“He moved here for the sake of the children,” his eldest son, Kenton, once wrote.
“Joyce Kilmer Day” was designated by proclamation last year by Mayor Laforet, flanked by Councilman Roth and then-Councilman Spiech, to commemorate Kilmer’s writing of “Trees” on that date.
The Joyce Kilmer Society is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to public enlightenment of the life and times of Joyce Kilmer in Mahwah. Sign up for free e-Newsletter at joycekilmermahwah@aim.com.
